Monday, July 22, 2013

To keep informed, I read all the education articles in the Daily News, and I've noticed a common theme. They are terribly concerned about "pervs" and "sex creeps" because they worry about how our students are treated. As I read the stories, I can't help but notice that they pick the most sensational details from only a handful of cases. In fact, the majority of cases they mention have already been resolved, and the teachers in question were not guilty. While they don't actually bother to get the teachers' versions, I can only assume they'd concur on the lack of guilt thing.

However, I've finally come across a case in which we've got the teacher's point of view. The teacher herself, in fact, admits it in her own words. Far from being repentant, this teacher seems to find it hilarious that she taped students' mouths shut to keep them quiet, and that the kids bled when they removed the tape. Not only that, but she seems to ridicule the way these children speak.

I'd have to say, here in NYC, that these are clear violations of Chancellor's Regulations A-420, corporal punishment, and possibly, given the gleefulness with which she tells the story at the children's expense, A-421, verbal abuse. This may perhaps also violate A-830, given that she seems to express great glee in mimicking the speech patterns of these children.

Since the Daily News and legal expert Campbell Brown are so concerned with protecting our children, I think the least they could do is launch a full-blown investigation. While it's true the incident in question occurred in another municipality, the fact is the teacher in question, Michelle Rhee, has launched groups to promote her ideas. One of them is called Students First NY, and is located right here.

Do we want NYC's 1.1 million schoolchildren subject to the whims of an awful teacher like this? Do we want our children physically abused? Can we tolerate people who not only abuse our children, but also boast and joke about it in public forums?

I say no. And therefore, since these charges are not only sustained, but freely acknowledged by the teacher in question, it's time for self-appointed protectors of decency to stand up. Therefore I call on the Daily News and legal expert Campbell Brown to stand up and take on this horrifying case. The public needs to know.

They'd surely enhance their credibility by taking on a case they could actually prove. I await their response, and offer them whatever support they may require in this quest.

To keep informed, I read all the education articles in the Daily News, and I've noticed a common theme. They are terribly concerned about "pervs" and "sex creeps" because they worry about how our students are treated. As I read the stories, I can't help but notice that they pick the most sensational details from only a handful of cases. In fact, the majority of cases they mention have already been resolved, and the teachers in question were not guilty. While they don't actually bother to get the teachers' versions, I can only assume they'd concur on the lack of guilt thing.

However, I've finally come across a case in which we've got the teacher's point of view. The teacher herself, in fact, admits it in her own words. Far from being repentant, this teacher seems to find it hilarious that she taped students' mouths shut to keep them quiet, and that the kids bled when they removed the tape. Not only that, but she seems to ridicule the way these children speak.

I'd have to say, here in NYC, that these are clear violations of Chancellor's Regulations A-420, corporal punishment, and possibly, given the gleefulness with which she tells the story at the children's expense, A-421, verbal abuse. This may perhaps also violate A-830, given that she seems to express great glee in mimicking the speech patterns of these children.

Since the Daily News and legal expert Campbell Brown are so concerned with protecting our children, I think the least they could do is launch a full-blown investigation. While it's true the incident in question occurred in another municipality, the fact is the teacher in question, Michelle Rhee, has launched groups to promote her ideas. One of them is called Students First NY, and is located right here.

Do we want NYC's 1.1 million schoolchildren subject to the whims of an awful teacher like this? Do we want our children physically abused? Can we tolerate people who not only abuse our children, but also boast and joke about it in public forums?

I say no. And therefore, since these charges are not only sustained, but freely acknowledged by the teacher in question, it's time for self-appointed protectors of decency to stand up. Therefore I call on the Daily News and legal expert Campbell Brown to stand up and take on this horrifying case. The public needs to know.

They'd surely enhance their credibility by taking on a case they could actually prove. I await their response, and offer them whatever support they may require in this quest.

Top Secret Correspondence

Quoteworthy

Frustration tolerance is the one thing that can make or break a leader. Your ability to remain optimistic, to sell hope, and to practice empathy--in spite of everyone placing the world on your shoulders--determines the entire culture, and, in turn, your own wellbeing.

Follow by Email

Humbly Presented By...

Search this blog

Disclaimer

Views expressed herein are solely those of the author or authors, and do not reflect views of my employers, the United Federation of Teachers, or any UFT union caucus.

Stories herein containing unnamed or invented characters are works of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.